The present invention relates to a method to divide upstream timeslots in a time division multiple access system and to a related line terminator and a related network terminator.
Similar methods and related network and line terminators are already known in the art, e.g., from the “ITU-T Recommendation G.983.1 (10/198) section 8.3.5”. Therein, it is explained how grants should be included in Physical Layer Operation and Maintenance (PLOAM) cells for sending from a line terminator in a Passive Optical Network (PON) system to a plurality of network terminators of the system to indicate to the network terminators what upstream time slot they can use for transmission of data to the line terminator. The systems described in the recommendation are more specifically 155/155 Mbit/sec and 622(downstream)/155 Mbit/sec systems wherein upon recognition of its associated identity in a received grant, a network terminator can use a 155 Mbit/s frame to send upstream data.
In order to support higher rates upstream, the same principle as described above could be used, i.e., sequential allocation of grants in the PLOAM cells to allow network terminators to use 622 Mbit/sec upstream timeslots. However, such a system would not be compatible with a 622/155 Mbit/sec system since the frame structures would not map.